To be Remembered
by The Lovely Cynic
Summary: ."Look, Mel, if we’re both going to die, then I say we do something to be remembered.” Their death was imminent. Their souls destined to be forgotten. Perhaps, though, if they left some small imprint, they would be remembered...


**To be Remembered**

**Author's Notes: **I… actually liked this. And I don't normally like stuff that I write! I hope you all enjoy it; I very much liked writing it. :3

And thanks a bunch to **anja-chan **for beta-ing! Because, you know, my gram.marz iz; fa-il. XD

--

"We're really going to do this?" Matt whispered, eyes fixated on the ground below him. A couple of dead leaves scraped gently against the concrete, breaking the silence of the deserted street. The cold wind brushed against the redhead's cheek, causing him to shiver and wrap his vest tighter around his body. The frosty moments of winter's midday only seemed to become cooler as the uninterrupted hush between the two men dragged on.

"Yeah," the blond ahead of him responded, nodding slowly. Mello was staring straight ahead of himself, gloved hands inside his jacket pockets. The unusually desolate road was far too loud in the silence. "You'll help, though. I know you will." It was a statement, not a hint of doubt in his voice. Mello was positive that Matt would die for him.

Matt's eyes narrowed, feeling suddenly irked at Mello's sureness. "I could die," his voice took on an abrupt flatness; his stare burning holes into the back of the blond's skull.

"You could." Mello was far too calm for Matt's liking.

The redhead grit his teeth, grinding out some of the tension that was building up in his mind. "So, you don't care, then," he hissed poisonously, digging through his vest pockets for a cigarette. They had barely said anything to each other and Matt's nerves were already rubbed raw.

As soon as the filter passed Matt's lips, Mello whipped his head around sharply. Blond hair blew around piercing blue eyes, which seemed to glow in their intensity. Their gazes locked, Mello holding Matt's stare unwaveringly.

"You don't understand, Matt," he said lowly. They watched each other awhile longer, neither daring to move. "Not a single damn thing," his voice was nearly inaudible over the gentle wind. The blond was the first to turn away, looking up to the sky instead.

The clouds played shapes over the sun, causing fragments of ice-tinged grey light to move over the frosted street and barren trees. Matt stayed perfectly still, cigarette hanging precariously between his lips. A heavy, long sigh escaped through his nose as he bit down into the filter.

"Mello," the redhead flicked his still unlit cigarette away. He picked up a small stick, dragging it along the chain link fence beside him. This action reminded him of when he and Mello were children and playing in Wammy's courtyard, discussing dreams for the future and prayers for the past….

"_Your parents?" Matt had asked._

"_I don't care about my parents," the response had caused the redhead to stare curiously at his blond friend. "They're dead."_

_That was true. They were all orphans at Wammy's House._

"_But they were still your parents," Matt had frowned slightly, playing with the strap of his goggles that hung around his neck, "You don't care about people who die?"_

"_No," Mello had answered very simply, "I care about L…." Everything was about L, wasn't it? "He won't die on me."_

"Mello?" The blond didn't even flinch when Matt repeated his name. "I suppose I don't exactly understand your plan," the gamer murmured, walking past Mello before stopping suddenly. "But how do you even know I'll help?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically, looking back at Mello, who was still staring at the sky.

Several moments passed. Mello looked down at Matt, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips. "You always help," he said, taking a few steps forward, placing a hand on Matt's head, "You haven't said no to me once. Why would you start now?" He tugged the redhead's goggles down over his eyes unexpectedly after a few seconds. "Now keep those down. What if Kira saw you, hm?"

Matt tilted his head down, blinking away a feeling of slight confusion as the world suddenly took on an orange tint. Right. If Kira didn't have a good look at your face, he couldn't kill you. That's why Mello wore his giant, gaudy sunglasses around everywhere, even in winter.

"There's nobody here, Mel," he replied, rolling his eyes and starting to walk again. The footfalls behind him told him that Mello was following.

"If Kira had seen you, you would have been dead. I can't lose you, too, Matt." There was a false coldness to the blond's tone; some unseen wound that Mello wanted to hide. Underneath the feigned apathy was a softness that Matt could feel was there. They continued walking, Matt still lazily dragging his stick along the metal fence. The quiet, metallic noises seemed to echo off the walls surrounding the street.

"Matt?" Mello said suddenly, a little louder than he had been.

Matt turned around, though continued to walk, "Yeah?" He was the quiet one now, his voice a fraction of what it had been.

"If all goes as planned…" he spoke very slowly, mind appearing to be turning over mountains of words to find the right ones to string a sentence together. "If all goes as planned, then I promise you won't die," he said, looking troubled. His eyes were the studying the cracked sidewalk and his bottom lip was caught between his teeth.

Matt paused, finding that phrase rather odd. If all went as planned, then _he_ wouldn't die? He looked ahead again, slowing to a stop just before a blocked-off square of wet cement. "What about you?" he murmured, grip tightening around the stick he was still holding.

A light chuckle escaped Mello. It wasn't warm, or friendly, or even sarcastic. It held nothing, an empty laugh. "I'm going to die either way, Matt. After this… I would have nothing to live for," he stopped beside Matt, kicking a small rock into the wet concrete.

"That's a lie," Matt rolled his eyes, frowning deeply, "If you die, I die. You need someone to go with you into the afterlife, after all," he murmured. He didn't want to die. He cringed inwardly at the mere thought of death, and yet… Mello needed him to die. And if _Mello _needed him to die, then Matt knew that he would eventually. If he didn't, then the blond's plan would fail. There was only a slim chance Matt would survive, but Mello was insisting he would.

"Shut up, Matt," the blond snapped, staring sharply at the redhead, "I don't need anyone to go with me. You don't have to be sentimental, I don't fucking well care. L's dead and I can't catch Kira by myself. My life has been all about being L, and now that I can't do that…" he faltered, words failing him. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times, eyebrows knitting together.

Matt sighed quietly. He took a step closer to Mello, placing a hand almost cautiously on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at the contact, but didn't move away, "Mello. If you have nothing to live for, then… what do I have to live for? I can't exactly live a normal life after this, now can I?" He moved his hand down Mello's arm, fingers brushing over his forearm before lacing their fingers together.

The blond's eyes widened, looking down at their hands. "Matt, please—"

He was silenced suddenly as the redhead crushed their lips together in a bruising kiss. Though the force of the kiss was almost painful, the feeling that it held was as gentle as the way their hands were holding each other. Mello squeezed his eyes shut, grasping Matt's hand a little tighter.

"Just… quiet," Matt whispered, warm breath teasing Mello's cold lips, "It's my life. I'll deal with it as I please." He smirked as the blond opened his eyes, still looking slightly worried**. **Although he stayed quiet, there was still a distinct protest in his eyes. "Look, Mel," he sighed quietly, pulling back a little more, "If we're both going to die, then I say we do something to be remembered." His smirk grew and he kissed Mello again before he could object.

Matt looked down at the wet cement. That was perfect. He untwisted his hand from the blond's, kneeling down on the frozen earth. He took the small stick and began quickly scribbling into the concrete.

Mello stared as the redhead wrote, still in a state of shock from the kisses. He touched his lips, which still tingled from the earlier contact. He darted his tongue out to lick them, still being able to taste Matt on them. A smoky flavor laced with a hint of menthol teased the blond's taste buds, causing him to shiver slightly.

"Done," Matt suddenly stood, tossing the stick away. Mello barely had a chance to read the message in the wet concrete before the redhead cupped both sides of his face and pressed their mouths together in another kiss.

"_Mail Jeevas_

_Mihael Keehl_

_Lived together, died together._

_Rest in peace."_


End file.
